Top prop joint



Feb. 14, 1933. w. s. sAUNDERs 1,897,442

TOP PROP JOINT Filed Dec. 18, 195o "fly/1% INVENTOR Wfef 5'. Saunders /1 6 5m f f/ ATTORNEYS Patented` Febo 14, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WALTER S. SAUNDERS, OF PONTIAC, MICHIGAN, .ASSIGNOR TO THE .AMERICAN FORGING- ANI) SOCKET COMPANY, OF PONTIAC, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION 0F MICHIGAN TOP PROP JOINT Application filed December 18, 1930. Serial No. 503,113.

This invention relates to top prop joints and the like and is particularly adapted, though not necessarily limited in its use, to upholding the tops of automobiles of the convertible coupe and landau types, and for supporting the backs of rumble seats on runabouts or coupes in their raised positions.

Heretofore the mode of manufacturing top prop joints has consisted of arranging a pair of buttons on the sides of the joints with a rivet passing through all the parts to form the pivot member and hold the joints and buttons in place. Or one button has been formed with a shank and the other with an opening for receiving the shank which is then riveted exteriorly of the apertured button. These constructions necessitate complete assembling of all the parts before grinding, polishing' and plating of the various parts can be completed, and it has proved both difficult and expensive to perform these various operations after the buttons are in place.

One of the objects of the present invention is the construction of a top prop joint which will readily permit the various operations of grinding, polishing and plating or painting to be wholly completed before the buttons are put in place, or partially completed and then finished after the buttons are put on.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a top prop joint utilizing a hollow7 rivet which may be flanged at the ends and countersunk into the arms of the joints to insure an even surfaced finish before the buttons are applied.

Other objects and advantages will be ap* parent from the following description, wherein reference is made to the accompanying drawing illustrating a preferred embodi ment of my invention, and wherein similar reference numerals designate similar parts throughout the several views.

In the drawing:

Figure l is a side elevation of the top portion of an automobile, showing our improved top prop joint in position.

igure 2 is an enlarged front elevation of the joint with parts of the arms broken away.

Figure 3 is a detail horizontal section of the joint shown in Figure 2, with parts of thel arms broken away.

Figure l is a detail vertical section taken substantially on the line l-t of Figure 2, and

Figure 5 is a similar through a modified Referring now vertical section arrangement of parts. to the drawing, the numeral 5 designates the top of an automobile or like vehicle provided with supporting arms 6 pfvoted at their outer eXtremities, as at 13, to foldable portions of the top and jointed at their inner extremities. It will be un derstood that the construction of the top and its supporting'arms other than the joint is immaterial and that our improved top prop joint is adapted for use with various types of tops and supporting arms, and on various types of vehicles. Accordingly7 no attempt has been made to illustrate a completely foldable top, and the showing in Figure l is merely for purposes of exempliiication.

My improved top prop joint comprises a pair of arms 6 and 6, formed preferably of metal or like material, which may be stamped, cut, forged, or otherwise formed into any desired shape. In the illustrated embodiment the arms 't3-6 are shown formed in arcuate shape, the arc of the lower arm 6 being reverse to the are of the upper arm 6. It will be understood, however, that the shape of the arms is immaterial and that our improved jointmay be used with arms of any desired shape.

The inner extremities of the arms 6-6 are shown as having the upper face of the former and the lower face of the latter cut to substantially half their thickness and interiitted together to secure an even surface on both sides of the joint, (Figure 3). The extreme inner end of the arm 6 is beveled, substantiallyas shown at 14, to allow for clearance when the arms are swung on their pivot and to aid in plating, as will be more fully explained. In Figure 2 I have shown the lower portions of the inner extremities of the arms 6`6 terminating substantially in a three-quarter circle, while the upper portions of the arms 6 6 are shown meeting substantially in a continuous line so as to form a perfectly matched plane surface at the outside edge of the joint when the arms 6--6 are in their open, raised or supporting position. The circular portions of they arms 6 5 are apertured substantially in the center, as shown at 15, and the upper and lower faces of the arms are counterbored adjacent the continuous aperture 15, which is formed when the arms are fitted together as shown, substantially as indicated at 8 8.

A tubular fastening member formed preferably of metal, or like material, such as the hollow rivet 7, is inserted into the aperture 15 and both ends of the rivet flanged to snugly engage the counterbored portions of the arms 6-6 as at 8-8. The rivet is formed with an axial aperture 18.

After so much of the joint has been assembled, the various operations of grinding, polishing and plating or painting may be performed thereon speedily and thoroughly. It will be apparent that the arms 6&6 are pivoted on and the assembly completely held together by the rivet 7 without the aid of buttons.

For ornamental purposes only, a pair of buttons 9, or the like, may be attached. These may also be formed of metal, having shoulders 11 and central apertures 16 circumscribed by projecting bosses 17. The buttons may be put through the various operations outlined in the preceding paragraph, and then one butt-on may be press fitted over an end of a pin 10 which may be driven into the aperture 16. rlChe bosses 17 are formed of an external diameter enabling them to fit snugly within the bore or central aperture 18 of the rivet 7, the pin being of a size enabling it to tightly iit within the apertures 16 in the buttons, to 1firmly secure the same when driven therein. Thus one of the buttons, having the pin 10 secured thereto by being driven into the aperture 16, may be positioned by forcing the boss 17 into the aperture in the rivet. The prop may then be turned over and the other button driven into the bore in the rivet, which operation will also of course drive the pin into the button to secure the same and complete the button assembly. rIo assist in the operation of driving the buttons into the hollow rivets, the entering edges of the bosses carried by the buttons may be chamfered, as at 19, assuring their easy entry into the rivets. The shoulders 11 of the buttons 9, limit the extent of the entry of the ends of the pin 10 and space the main portions of the buttons from the sides of the arms 6-13, this construction being shown in the embodiment illustrated in Figures 1 4.

The simplicity and inexpensiveness of my improved top prop joint is believed to be apparent. In Figure t I have shown at l2 the rec-ess formed between the buttons and arms when the buttons are in place because of the shoulders 11 engaging the arms. It has heretofore been exceedingly difficult to plate the parts adjacent this recess after the buttons were in place, and unless they are plated thoroughly rusting of the joint is apt to result. Vith our improved method of constructing this joint, however, these parts may be readily and easily plated before or after the buttons are put on. If desired, both the subassembly and the buttons can be separately ground, polished, plated, and bufed, and left in the dull bufed state until the pin and buttons are pressed in place, after which the entire assembly may be bulled. The assembly lits snugly together but suflicient clearances are allowed to permit ready plating, bufting, etc., aft-er the assembly is completed if desired.

In Figure 5 is illustrated a modified arrangement in which only one button is used with a modified headed pin 10', the inner button being replaced, for economy, by the head 29 carried by the pin 10. The head 29 of the pin 10 may also be formed with a shoulder 17 for engagement with the aperture in the hollow rivet as do the bosses 17 carried by the buttons in the previously described embodiment. The pin 10 is first driven into the central aperture 18 of the hollow rivet, the shoulder 17 engaging firmly therein. The boss 17 of a button 9 is then driven into the hollow rivet and upon the extremity of the pin 10', as before.

The pins 10-10 may be formed with notches 10a, which are preferably made by striking the pin sharply with a hardened tool to thereby force portions of the material of the pin outwardly slightly beyond the periphery of the pin. lVhen the buttons are then pressed over the ends of the pins their outwardly projecting portions aid in gripping the buttons to secure them in position.

While it will be apparent that the illustrated embodiment of my invention herein disclosed is well calculated to adequately fulll the objects and advantages primarily stated, it is to be understood that the invention is susceptible to variation, modification and change within the spirit and scope of the subj oined claim.

What I claim is:

A top prop joint comprising a pair of arms, the inner extremities of which overlap each other and are provided with aligned apertures, the outer faces of the arms being countersunk adjacent the apertures, a tubular fastening member extending through the aperture and pivotally connecting said arms, the ends of said fastening member being flanged to fit within the countersunk faces of said arms, a pin passing through and projecting beyond the ends of said tubular member, and a pair of buttons secured to the ends of said pin, said buttons being formed with projecting bosses adapted to t within and reenforce the tubular member, and l additional projecting portions adapted to space the buttons from the arms, and portions of the arms beneath the buttons being spaced from each other to permit the entry of fluid matter from outside.

In testimony whereof I sign this specification.

WALTER S. SAUNDERS. 

